Athens: Europe's roots by Stefania Caserta

Politics

lollo_giusto — 2025-11-27 19:02:40 UTC

European politics began in ancient Greece, where Athens created the first democracy based on citizens’ direct participation.

Reforms by Cleisthenes and Pericles strengthened this system of public debate and civic responsibility.

Theatre also helped spread political ideas by inviting people to reflect on justice and power.

After periods of crisis and the 20th-century dictatorship, Greece returned to democracy with the 1974 referendum.

Joining the European Union later reinforced these democratic values, connecting Greece’s ancient heritage with today’s European cooperation and respect for diversity.

Architecture

duccioaa — 2025-11-27 19:21:18 UTC

Athenian architecture has long been recognized as a foundational influence on the development of European architectural traditions. Rooted in principles of harmony, proportion, and civic symbolism, its major forms—most notably the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders—established a visual language that spread across the Mediterranean. The Athenians’ dedication to public spaces, such as temples, theaters, and agoras, inspired later European cultures to integrate architecture with social and political life. During the Renaissance, humanist scholars revived classical ideals, embedding Athenian concepts into emerging European styles. This enduring legacy continues to shape modern attitudes toward beauty, structure, and urban identity in our world.

Socialization and friendships

2025-11-27 19:24:26 UTC

Through the interaction with the greek students, we socialised together and we met a new culture. We started to know lots of things and habits about people of our age and how is the life in a country that is different from ours.

Myth and the roots of Europe

2025-11-27 19:43:05 UTC

The name Europe itself derives from an ancient myth. The myths are at the base of the European culture for some reasons: they transmit universal values, they influenced the history and the philosophy, they found the sense of common memory and they are educational tools. They talk about courage, love, justice, revenge and freedom, that today still are at the center of the culture. They influenced the history and the philosophy, most of authors were inspired by the myths and also the philosophers used the myths to explain abstract concepts. And they found the sense of common because they explain the origins of world and cities.

Theatre

2025-11-27 20:10:33 UTC

Greek theatre grew alongside Athenian democracy and became one of its cultural tools. Tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were not just performances but civic moments where citizens reflected on justice, power, and responsibility. The chorus acted as the voice of the community, echoing the democratic idea of public debate. Competitions judged by ordinary citizens and attendance open to all reinforced participation and critical thinking. This tight bond between theatre and democratic life helped shape Europe’s civic culture and continued to influence later artists from the Renaissance to the modern era.

Science and philosophy

2025-11-29 15:43:10 UTC

The European philosophical-scientific tradition has its roots in Greek thought, where, for the first time, research on nature (phýsis) became rational investigation, free from myth. The presocratics inaugurated a method based on the observation of the world and the formulation of general principles, surprisingly anticipating the modern scientific spirit. With the work of Platone and especially of Aristotele, this trend was consolidated: thought was organized into logical categories and research became systematic, involving all the fields of knowledge such as Maths, Astronomy, Medicine, Optics , Mecanics and every aspect of natural Philosophy. This legacy, expanding and changing over time, is manifested today in the great institutions of contemporary European research, such as ESA and CERN in Geneva. Both embody the continuity of an approach consistent with Greek thought: the belief that the study of nature — from elementary particles to cosmic dynamics to biological and medical mechanisms — is a common undertaking, based on method, measure and criticism.

Socialization and friendships

2025-11-29 15:52:05 UTC

We have understood through experiences together the differences and similarities with their school, culture and extracurricular activities.

Food&traditions

prof_stefaniacaserta — 2025-11-29 16:33:53 UTC

During our stay we discovered not only Greece cuisine, but also some cultural tradition, such as sirtaki.

It was interesting to see how music, dance and liveliness are part of Greek daily life.

Partner school

prof_stefaniacaserta — 2025-11-29 16:49:52 UTC

We visited the partner school and met the Greek students. It was really exciting to learn about their school habits and school system and compare them to our reality.

Cooperative learning

prof_stefaniacaserta — 2025-11-29 16:54:11 UTC

From strangers in the same school to a united team in Greece: This Erasmus experience didn't just teach us; it forged vital cooperative bonds between students from different classes and powered an unforgettable collaboration with our Greek partners

Cultural tours

prof_stefaniacaserta — 2025-11-29 17:07:08 UTC

Through cultural visits we discovered Athens beyond school.

Walking around the city, visiting ancient temples and museums helped us connect with Greek culture and appreciate its influence on Europe.